Role of Early Maturation, Perceived Popularity, and Rumors in the Emergence of Internalizing Symptoms Among Adolescent Girls

• NCJ Number: 237378
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 40 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2011 Pages: 1407-1422
• Author(s): Bridget M. Reynolds; Jaana Juvonen
• Date Published: November 2011
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): BCS-9911525; 99100463; F31 MH074244
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation; William T. Grant Foundation; Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the peer reputation of early maturing girls.

Abstract

Despite the widely reported link between early pubertal timing and internalizing symptoms among girls, less is known about the peer reputation of earlier maturing girls. The current study assesses whether early maturation is associated with perceived popularity and/or rumors, and whether these reputational factors help account for earlier maturing girls' vulnerability to emotional distress. Drawing on three waves of data collected from an ethnically diverse sample of middle school girls (n = 912), hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that more advanced development at the start of middle school predicted peer- and teacher-reported popularity as well as increased risk of being targeted for rumors. Mediation analyses suggested that popularity among boys can put earlier developing girls at risk for rumors. Finally, rumors acted as a partial mechanism through which early maturation was associated with subsequent internalizing symptoms. Knowledge of the peer mechanisms putting earlier developing girls at risk for psychosocial maladjustment can inform intervention and prevention efforts aimed at improving adolescent well-being. (Published Abstract)